IT Operations
Top Stories
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Opinion
21 Sep 2026
Lenovo extends virtualization support as AI complicates decisions
As many organizations look to replace their primary hypervisor, IT leaders must balance optimizing for their AI strategy while minimizing disruption to legacy VM-based environments. Continue Reading
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News
18 Sep 2026
Seismic shift in Splunk pricing spotlights AI data management
The era of simply amassing heaps of raw telemetry is over, Splunk users say. Viable AI agents for automated IT ops will depend on putting all that data in context. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Oct 2024
Ansible vs. Chef vs. Puppet: A comparison
For teams that oversee ecosystems and software packages, configuration management tools have the power to boost operational consistency. But which products deserve attention? Continue Reading
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Podcast
03 Oct 2024
Microsoft security overhaul offers blueprint for SecOps
Better late than never: Microsoft lags major cloud competitors in making security a top priority. But other enterprises might learn from how the company is catching up. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Oct 2024
What are ModelOps (model operations) analytics models?
ModelOps (model operations) is a holistic approach to building analytics models that can quickly progress from the lab to production. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Oct 2024
What is configuration management? A comprehensive guide
Configuration management, or CM, is a governance and systems engineering process used to track and control IT resources, services and applications across an enterprise. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2024
Fresh crop of startups takes on infrastructure-as-code toil
Emerging vendors, including a new venture from the founder of Chef, set out to put a fresh face on IT infrastructure automation for the platform engineering era. Continue Reading
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Podcast
26 Sep 2024
The double-edged swords of cloud security and AI
DevSecOps expert Kyler Middleton examines the ways modern technologies such as cloud computing and AI both enable and complicate the future of SecOps. Continue Reading
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News
25 Sep 2024
Harness DevOps tools add database, QA automation, AI agents
With a series of updates this week, Harness claims unique support for database DevOps, as well as pipeline generation and UI test automation using AI agents. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Sep 2024
Will Windows Server 2025 spark VMware migrations?
Can Microsoft capitalize on VMware customer concerns by touting enhancements to its next version of Windows Server along with its cloud and hyperconverged infrastructure options? Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Sep 2024
U.S. Army, Lockheed Martin detail SBOM progress
Despite muddied regulatory waters and industry angst over technical stumbling blocks, enterprises are forging ahead with SBOMs, according to presenters at a recent CISA event. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
23 Sep 2024
Learn to use PowerShell Invoke-RestMethod for API calls
Admins who work with the cloud, from Azure hybrid services to Microsoft 365, should understand how REST APIs work in conjunction with PowerShell for their automation needs. Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2024
Platform engineers embrace secrets management tool
Pulumi's ESC, now GA, filled an automation gap in multi-cloud identity and permissions management for platform engineers well-versed in general-purpose programming languages. Continue Reading
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Podcast
19 Sep 2024
SecOps' new frontier in the remote work era: HR
A CISO shares the story of how his SOC staff caught and contained a North Korean agent posing as a software engineer, saying he hopes to raise awareness of a growing threat. Continue Reading
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Answer
18 Sep 2024
What's the role of an application load balancer vs. API gateway?
Application load balancers and API gateways both manage network traffic. Learn the differences between them and how to use them together in a modern IT deployment. Continue Reading
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News
17 Sep 2024
IBM adds to FinOps arsenal as cloud competition winds change
IBM broadens its multi-cloud and hybrid cloud FinOps support with its acquisition of Kubecost, as its AI infrastructure strategy diverges from VMware's under Broadcom. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
13 Sep 2024
Getting started with Argo CD on Kubernetes
Argo CD can make managing Kubernetes clusters simpler and more efficient. Learn how to install Argo CD and set up an application to get started. Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Sep 2024
CTO challenges software security status quo
A former U.S. Department of Homeland Security researcher argues that software is fundamentally broken from a security perspective. So, where does the industry go from here? Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2024
Four zero-days fixed for September Patch Tuesday
Most corrections this month focus on the Windows OS, but enterprises that rely on SQL Server or SharePoint should prioritize deploying the security updates for those platforms. Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2024
JFrog connects key software supply chain management dots
JFrog ties in with GitHub and Nvidia and ships Runtime Security to offer visibility into software supply chains from source code to production and back again, including AI apps. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2024
OpenTofu, OpenBao reach milestones post-HashiCorp BSL
OpenTofu capped a year since launch with a new registry UI and API, while OpenBao reached GA, but open source forks didn't keep HashiCorp from beating growth estimates. Continue Reading
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Podcast
09 Sep 2024
An expert's big-picture view of the state of SecOps
In this first episode of 'IT Ops Query' Season 2, a SANS institute instructor and 20-year cybersecurity veteran assesses the past, present and future of SecOps. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Sep 2024
Grafana vs. Datadog: What are the differences?
Grafana and Datadog are both powerful monitoring services with a wide variety of integrations, such as logging, visualization, alerts and APM. Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2024
IT vendors still search for open source license sweet spot
Elastic returns Elasticsearch and Kibana to open source licenses while Sentry floats Fair Source, as balancing business and community success remains a work in progress. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Sep 2024
Microsoft Purview Audit helps IT flush out bad behavior
The auditing tool gives enterprises a way to find problems by examining logs from Microsoft 365 cloud services, such as Exchange Online, to see what actions were taken and where. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2024
Stop phishing with help from updated DMARC policy handling
Exchange admins got a boost from Microsoft when it improved how it handles DMARC authentication failures to help organizations fight back from email-based attacks on their users. Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2024
VMware Tanzu hones integration, but faces Broadcom backlash
VMware Tanzu now offers a single UI for Cloud Foundry and Kubernetes, a feature years in the making, but the improvement could get lost in post-Broadcom drama. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Aug 2024
Building an infrastructure-as-code pipeline in the cloud
There are key stages to manage infrastructure as code, from source control to deployment. Here's how these functions can be accomplished through cloud services. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Aug 2024
Windows Server 2025 Hyper-V updates promise speed boost
Will the new and improved features in the upcoming Hyper-V release come at the perfect time for Microsoft to capitalize on a series of unpopular changes from VMware? Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Aug 2024
What is LXD (Linux container hypervisor)?
LXD, pronounced 'lex-dee,' is a unified platform for managing system containers and virtual machines (VMs). Continue Reading
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Tutorial
16 Aug 2024
Using PowerShell for monitoring SharePoint Online
The scale and complexity of some SharePoint Online environments can make maintenance difficult. Learn to use automation scripts to keep tabs on the collaboration platform. Continue Reading
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Definition
15 Aug 2024
What is Microsoft Azure File Service?
Microsoft Azure Files -- sometimes known as Microsoft Azure File Service -- is a simple, secure, serverless, fully managed and cloud-based file sharing service for enterprise users. Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2024
Microsoft corrects six zero-days for August Patch Tuesday
Admins can address most of the zero-days with a cumulative update. But of more concern is the lack of patches for two vulnerabilities demonstrated at the Black Hat conference. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Aug 2024
Use diskpart to create, delete and modify disk partitions
Diskpart is one of the oldest disk management tools in Windows, but it remains useful for its advanced capabilities in automation and granular control compared to other utilities. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Aug 2024
How Puppet works: Using the configuration management tool
With Puppet, organizations can manage configurations and simplify the DevOps process. Learn how it works, and see if it's the right choice for your organization. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Aug 2024
10 benefits of containers for AI workloads
IT organizations face a daunting onslaught of new AI projects. Containers offer key benefits to ease the burden throughout an AI workload's lifecycle. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Aug 2024
How AI can automate IT patch management
AI-based patch automation can take pressure off the process of scanning, testing, deploying and producing a report. Is AI the right way to go for your organization? Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Aug 2024
How to deploy a LAMP stack
Examine the components and deployment options of a LAMP stack, which provides web hosting, database and scripting platforms that are found in many data centers. Continue Reading
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News
08 Aug 2024
Sysdig Sage early adopters kick the tires on CNAPP AI agents
AI agents in Sysdig Sage add more sophisticated multi-step reasoning than is available with generic LLMs. But it's meant to assist humans, not replace them. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Aug 2024
What is a service mesh?
A service mesh is a dedicated infrastructure layer that controls service-to-service communication within a distributed application. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Aug 2024
How to use Linux package managers
There are many different package managers for Linux distributions. Linux admins should know what to expect from these distributions and how to tackle software maintenance. Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2024
DevOps platform aids app modernization, sets stage for AI
Amid a company rebranding and product consolidation, IT ops teams at Rival HR paved a path for DevOps velocity and AI-based automation with updates to legacy infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2024
Learn to use Windows registry editor command-line options
This tutorial explains how to use the regedit tool on the command line and make changes to the Windows registry for advanced administrative jobs. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Aug 2024
How AIOps can optimize incident management teams
Artificial intelligence can help operations teams handle IT incidents, mitigate downtime, increase availability and reduce the time spent on manual processes. Continue Reading
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Podcast
30 Jul 2024
Is open source a tragedy of the commons? It's complicated
In the season finale of the 'IT Ops Query' podcast, Pantheon's Josh Koenig and David Strauss explain why it's difficult to label open source a tragedy of the commons. Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2024
Microsoft, SecOps pros weigh kernel access post-CrowdStrike
Microsoft will explore alternatives to direct kernel access for partners following the CrowdStrike outage. But some IT pros worry that change could do more harm than good. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
30 Jul 2024
Deploy Azure landing zones using Terraform
Azure landing zones are well-managed environments that provide a way to run workloads. Deploying them using Terraform lets users build a solid foundation. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
26 Jul 2024
Dive into Terraform basics with this tutorial
Terraform can save you time and headaches when deploying servers with cloud providers. Get up to speed on Terraform basics in this tutorial. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
25 Jul 2024
Activate Windows Server 2019 with KMS or the command line
Running the Software License Manager from the command line or using Key Management Services for automatic activation can sidestep one hurdle to get going with Windows Server 2019. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
24 Jul 2024
Boost Exchange Online automation with Azure Functions
Admins can use the event-driven functionality in Microsoft's serverless offering and build event-driven workflows for a more efficient management approach. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jul 2024
Understand the k-means clustering algorithm with examples
The k-means clustering algorithm groups similar objects or data points into clusters. This approach is popular for multivariate numeric data. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2024
GitLab users cautiously optimistic on Datadog DevSecOps deal
Datadog is reportedly a suitor for GitLab; existing users understand the rationale for such a deal, but key questions must be answered before they'd adopt deeper integrations. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2024
Aviatrix CEO pitches cloud networking to 'underserved buyer'
Doug Merritt has been in the multi-cloud networking business for a year, but still draws on his experience as CEO of Splunk to steer Aviatrix toward a new phase of growth. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jul 2024
GitOps vs. DevOps: What's the difference?
Compare GitOps vs. DevOps for your organization. GitOps focuses on applications and infrastructure, whereas DevOps covers tools, collaboration and more. Continue Reading
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Podcast
17 Jul 2024
An unpopular way to fund popular open source software
Tech analyst and consultant Justin Warren has a few thoughts on how to solve the open source maintenance problem. Some might not like his approach. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2024
AI gateways emerge in response to governance concerns
Enterprise IT investment is pouring into AI, but security and governance remain major stumbling blocks to production. Enter API gateway vendors eager to assist -- and cash in. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
15 Jul 2024
Manage Microsoft 365 users and groups with Azure Functions
This Microsoft service performs large-scale admin jobs and also automatically reacts to certain conditions to execute predefined tasks with speed and consistency. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
12 Jul 2024
Deploy a Redis Cluster on Kubernetes
Redis is a powerful platform with many use cases. Follow this tutorial to run Redis on Kubernetes to simplify deployments and increase reliability and performance. Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Jul 2024
Linux Secure Boot
Linux Secure Boot is a Hyper-V feature that Microsoft introduced in Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016. The feature allows specific Linux distributions to boot properly when running in Hyper-V generation 2 virtual machines. Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Jul 2024
Microsoft Windows Server LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel)
Microsoft Windows Server LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) is one of the servicing options available for users of the Windows Server operating system (OS). Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jul 2024
LAMP stack vs. MEAN stack: Which is right for you?
LAMP and MEAN stacks are two options for application hosting. Their differences lie in the way you use and deploy them. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2024
IT ops pros grapple with glut of AI assistants
After nearly two years of hype, it's still early for enterprise GenAI. That said, skepticism -- and outright pessimism -- have begun to emerge about AI assistants for IT automation. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Jul 2024
GitHub
GitHub is a web-based version control and collaboration platform for software developers. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
08 Jul 2024
Follow these steps to optimize Hyper-V performance
Follow these best practices for Microsoft's virtualization platform to prevent unnecessary slowdowns with your VMs. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2024
New Relic CEO sets observability strategy for the AI age
Former Proofpoint CEO sets an AI-focused agenda, including an Nvidia partnership launched this week, while denying layoff rumors and speculation about a merger with Sumo Logic. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2024
Datadog DASH updates push into fresh IT automation turf
A series of product updates at Datadog DASH broke out of the vendor's usual observability domain and into territory held by Atlassian, PagerDuty and others. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jun 2024
JFrog buy bolsters MLOps combo with DevSecOps
JFrog plans to meld AI/ML development with established DevSecOps pipelines through the acquisition of Qwak in a bid to help more enterprise AI apps reach production. Continue Reading
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Definition
25 Jun 2024
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a Windows server role that can plan, manage and deploy updates, service packs, patches and hotfixes for Windows servers, client operating systems (OSes) and other Microsoft software. Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Jun 2024
Type 2 hypervisor (hosted hypervisor)
A Type 2 hypervisor is a virtual machine (VM) manager that is installed as a software application on an existing operating system (OS). Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Jun 2024
Virtual Machine Management Service
The Virtual Machine Management service, also known as VMMS or vmms.exe, is the main module in the Microsoft Windows operating system for controlling the virtual machines (VMs) on a Hyper-V server. Continue Reading
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Video
20 Jun 2024
No-GIL Python is a mistake
Python's GIL is slated for the chopping block, and while the promise is improved performance, the reality of removing the GIL may be quite different. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2024
OpsRamp embraces automation for GenAI workloads
In this Q&A, Varma Kunaparaju, HPE OpsRamp lead, talks about soon-to-come platform updates, which include GenAI capabilities and building trust for AI-driven automation. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2024
SUSE Rancher gears up amid VMware-Broadcom 'feeding frenzy'
SUSE Rancher bolsters its bid to capture users dissatisfied with Broadcom's changes to VMware with the acquisition of StackState and other updates to its Prime package. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Jun 2024
Group Policy
Group Policy is a management feature in Microsoft's Active Directory (AD) that enables network and system administrators to configure and assign user and computer settings in an AD environment. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2024
Post-lawsuit, Splunk and Cribl meet again in data pipelines
Weeks after a jury awarded Splunk $1 in its lawsuit against Cribl, the two vendors remain on a collision course, this time in the realm of data pipelines and federated analytics. Continue Reading
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Podcast
17 Jun 2024
Open source security's systemic challenges
In this installment of 'IT Ops Query,' Emily Fox talks about how reevaluating 50-year-old open source security practices could lead the community somewhere new. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
13 Jun 2024
How to successfully debug PowerShell scripts
Got a PowerShell script that isn't working as intended? Debug it using breakpoints and a few simple steps in VS Code, and you'll be on your way to scripting success. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
13 Jun 2024
How to use regex in PowerShell
A regular expression is a series of characters that determine a matching pattern in text to find or replace input validation. Walk through a regex example in PowerShell. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2024
New Cisco-Splunk observability roadmap details emerge
Post-acquisition, Cisco puts Splunk's CEO in charge of its observability strategy and lays out the details of how Splunk Observability Cloud will replace its existing platform. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jun 2024
Azure Functions overview: A guide for Microsoft admins
With Azure Functions, admins can tap into advanced automation, enjoy enhanced security controls and create highly customized workflows catered to the organization's needs. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2024
Microsoft delivers 51 fixes for June Patch Tuesday
A critical remote-code execution flaw in Windows and a DoS vulnerability affecting DNS in Windows Server top the list of patching priorities for admins. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
11 Jun 2024
Use advanced DHCP logging techniques for troubleshooting
This guide helps admins solve problems on the network by explaining how to work with recorded activity in logs and set up an archival system to examine older incidents. Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Jun 2024
IT incident management
IT incident management is a component of IT service management (ITSM) that aims to rapidly restore services to normal following an incident while minimizing adverse effects on the business. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
06 Jun 2024
Find and fix server problems with Best Practices Analyzer
Admins need all the help they can get, and this Microsoft utility shows IT how to correct security issues and optimize performance in key infrastructure workloads. Continue Reading
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Definition
05 Jun 2024
virtualization
Virtualization is the creation of a virtual version of an actual piece of technology, such as an operating system (OS), a server, a storage device or a network resource. Continue Reading
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Podcast
03 Jun 2024
Be prepared for open source software risks
Companies need to prepare for the risks and responsibilities of using open source software, according to Chainguard's Dan Lorenc. Nothing is ever completely free. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jun 2024
Evaluate Grafana vs. Kibana for IT data visualization
Grafana and Kibana are two strong contenders for on-premises data visualization tools. Compare the two and pick which tool is best for your organization. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
30 May 2024
Streamline Microsoft 365 onboarding with PowerShell
Learn how to simplify user provisioning in the cloud collaboration platform with faster results by seeing examples of scripts that work with Microsoft Graph. Continue Reading
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Podcast
28 May 2024
Magical thinking puts open source maintenance in jeopardy
Open source software maintenance is broken. Tobie Langel has a big picture idea for how to fix it, which he shares in this installment of IT Ops Query. Continue Reading
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Definition
28 May 2024
bare-metal hypervisor (Type 1 hypervisor)
A bare-metal hypervisor, also known as a Type 1 hypervisor, is virtualization software that has been installed directly onto the computing hardware. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 May 2024
Master these 5 common Kubernetes troubleshooting tasks
Not enough nodes? Have some noisy neighbors? Plenty of things can cause containers to underperform. Here's how to chase down and resolve three common Kubernetes problems. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
23 May 2024
Automate Microsoft 365 user offboarding with PowerShell
Automation is a good way for admins to handle all the tasks associated with removing a user from the organization's tenant in Microsoft's cloud-based productivity platform. Continue Reading
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Definition
23 May 2024
Zabbix
Zabbix is an open source monitoring software tool for diverse IT components, including networks, servers, virtual machines (VMs) and cloud services. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
21 May 2024
Secure Kubernetes with this Kubescape tutorial
Kubescape can help discover misconfigurations in a Kubernetes cluster by scanning various resource types. Learn how to use the platform to scan clusters. Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2024
IBM gives glimpse of HashiCorp plans with AIOps preview
The idea that IBM's $6.5 billion deal for HashiCorp will change its open source stance has lost steam given plans to unite it with other proprietary tools under IBM Concert. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 May 2024
Windows Server Client Access License (CAL)
A Windows Server Client Access License (CAL) is a license that gives a user or device the right to access services, such as printing or access to a file share, from a server running the Windows Server operating system (OS). Continue Reading
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Tutorial
17 May 2024
How to use PowerShell for Exchange Online monitoring
Many enterprises rely on Exchange Online for more than just email. Admins need to stay on top of this important service to pinpoint when problems occur to resolve them quickly. Continue Reading
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Podcast
16 May 2024
Bruce Perens on software in a Post-Open world
What comes after open source software? Bruce Perens shares his ideas on why open source as he first defined it has failed, and what a new paradigm could look like. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 May 2024
8 WSUS alternatives for patch management
Compare the features of eight prominent patch management tools for Microsoft OSes and third-party applications to find the right option for your organization. Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2024
Microsoft handles 2 Windows zero-days on May Patch Tuesday
In addition to the Windows vulnerabilities exploited in the wild, admins should focus on patching multiple flaws in web browsers from Google, Microsoft and Mozilla. Continue Reading
- Definition 14 May 2024
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Podcast
13 May 2024
The shortsightedness of open source business models
Chef Software founder Adam Jacob on the struggle of getting an open source business model right and the licensing approach for his new venture, System Initiative. Continue Reading